For several years I’ve been calling for the creation of Question Posters (vs Read Posters). Well, it turns out that I am now in charge of a school with a marketing budget.
So here’s my question (please use the comments below): would you use/hang these posters? They would by 25″x19″
The hope is that these would be the first theme, and we can add other themes.
Please consider these as drafts BTW.
I like these a lot and would display in our library. I particularly like “Question Justice” and “Question Access”. One simply with “Question” would be great also.
As a child of the 1960’s I would be happy to hang these posters anywhere–the timing is certainly ripe for them again. Sadly I’m no longer working in a library, but think they could also be useful for herding those who see libraries as the place to get the latest Norah Roberts book towards a fuller understanding of the role of libraries.
It looks like an attack on the Federal Government and how it is run. When I look at these posters I feel afraid and like I need to start looking for a different country to live in. Is there a visual way to say we have the right to question our government and its workings at all levels without this type of visual? Yes, I am sure there is.
The message is one that I want to see displayed in the University library where I work. The conservative nature of the University, the Air Force community and the communities surrounding these two institutions causes me to be reluctant to even suggest its use.
Susan I really appreciate the feedback. It is interesting how events and context change how a visual is interpreted. Just as an FYI the White House, Capital, and Supreme Court images are WPA images.
I agree with Susan – the message is important and eloquent, but juxtaposing it with images of federal buildings is likely to alienate library users. And it’s perhaps not broad enough – targeting just federal misuses of power and not state, local, and corporate power.
Could the imagery be positive? I’m imagining an illustration of someone researching an issue at the library in one panel, then standing up at their local government meeting in the next panel.
If finding an artist would be an issue – normally I advocate paying for art, but I bet right now you could find a talented librarian-artist who would illustrate these for free.
I would love to hang these posters in my high school library!
I appreciate the comments about not using government buildings. I wonder about using photos of (dead) iconic people. For example, The “Question Authority” might be interesting on a photo of Eleanor Roosevelt (as a person who I’m sure did question authority).
I originally had that but then ran headlong into intellectual property issues. Turn out while I can get images out of copyright, there are also protections for people’s likenesses.